Fifth wheel hitch isolation system

ABSTRACT

A fifth wheel hitch may include at least one support frame capable of engaging with a towing vehicle. The fifth wheel hitch may further include a cross-member attached to the support frame and an isolation system operatively coupled with the cross-member. The isolation system may include a beam engaged with the cross-member about a first axis, where rotation of the beam about the first axis is dampened via a cross-member isolator. The isolation system may also include a skid plate engaged with the beam about a second axis, where rotation of the skid plate about the second axis is dampened via a wing isolator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/367,695, entitled “Fifth Wheel Hitch Isolation System,” filed onJul. 26, 2010, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to a fifth wheel hitch and, moreparticularly, to a fifth wheel hitch isolation system.

BACKGROUND

The towing industry has developed a number of methods and apparatusesfor securing a towed vehicle or trailer to a towing vehicle. Forexample, hitch balls have been developed to be attached to the bumper orother rear portion of a towing vehicle. A trailer or towed vehicleequipped with a coupler mechanism may be attached to the towing vehicleby placing the coupling mechanism over the hitch ball and securing thecoupler to the ball. Similar apparatus using hitch receivers attached tothe rear of a towing vehicle and drawbars may be used to secure trailersto towing vehicles.

Some trailers may be designed to carry heavy loads. Connecting such atrailer to a ball hitch on a bumper of a towing vehicle, however, may beimpractical. When a trailer load is heavy when compared to the weight ofthe towing vehicle, applying the trailer load to the rear of the towingvehicle may cause undesirable towing conditions. In such situations, thetrailer may often be secured to a load bed of a towing vehicle, wherebythe force of the trailer load is generally applied over or near the rearaxle of the towing vehicle to create a potentially more stable towingcondition. In addition, such an arrangement may put much of the force ofthe trailer load onto structural members of the towing vehicle, such asthe frame.

There are generally two arrangements for securing a trailer to the loadbed of a towing vehicle—a fifth wheel hitch and a gooseneck hitch. Agooseneck hitch is generally attached to a hitch ball that may belocated in the load bed of the towing vehicle. The hitch ball maytypically be secured to the frame or load bed of the towing vehicle. Afifth wheel hitch may generally be positioned in a load bed of thetowing vehicle and secured either to the load bed or directly to theframe of the towing vehicle. Fifth wheel hitches may generally beattached to the load bed or frame whereby tools may generally berequired to remove fasteners and other connectors to install oruninstall a fifth wheel hitch to the load bed of a towing vehicle.

Typically, a fifth wheel trailer may include a king pin that may be usedto couple the trailer to the towing vehicle. Fifth wheel trailers arecommonly coupled to towing vehicles that include a load bed, such as apick-up truck or a flatbed truck. A fifth wheel hitch assembly may besecured in the load bed of the towing vehicle, whereby the king pin ofthe trailer is commonly coupled to the fifth wheel hitch assembly.

Fifth wheel hitch assemblies may typically include a support frame forsecuring the hitch assembly to the load bed of the towing vehicle. Thesupport frame may include a pair of mounting rails, a pair of sidebrackets, and a head assembly. The mounting rails may be bolted to theload bed or the frame of the towing vehicle. The side brackets may besecured to the mounting rails and the head assembly may be secured tothe side brackets. The head assembly may be secured in a manner thatallows the head assembly to pivot fore-and-aft with respect to thetowing vehicle.

The head assembly may include a jaw assembly for securing the king pinof the trailer to the towing vehicle. The jaws may be moveable to secureand release the king pin extending from the trailer. The jaws may alsobe arranged such that an operator may manually toggle the jaws between aposition in which the king pin is secured in the jaws and a position inwhich the king pin is released from the jaws. When the king pin issecured in the jaws, the trailer is secured to the towing vehicle andmay be towed by the towing vehicle. When the king pin is released fromthe jaws, the king pin may be removed from the jaws, decoupling thetrailer from the towing vehicle.

Fifth wheel hitches may normally be arranged such that the king pin isaligned over or near the rear axle and approximately equidistant betweenthe rear wheels of the towing vehicle. Placing the king pin over therear axle may also provide for sufficient clearance between the frontedge of the trailer and the rear edge of the towing vehicle cabin. Suchan arrangement may facilitate towing the trailer at operational speeds,such as highway speeds.

Driving a fifth wheel trailer may often be very rough, whereby largeshocks can pass through the trailer hitch between the trailer and thetowing vehicle. Providing a rigid trailer hitch, however, may notprovide an adequate or proper cushion between the stiff trailer and thetowing vehicle, whereby the people traveling in the towing vehicle maynot have a comfortable ride.

Typically, fifth wheel hitches have either used large volume air bags,fluid shock absorbers, or have been forced to use a dense polymer tolimit the resulting displacement. As a result, fifth wheel hitches haverequired a large amount of space and have not been able to adequatelydampen high frequency vibrations as well as low frequency vibrations. Inaddition, fifth wheel hitches generally dampen a limited number ofdegrees and not multiple axes.

SUMMARY

A fifth wheel hitch may include at least one support frame capable ofengaging with a towing vehicle. The fifth wheel hitch may furtherinclude a cross-member attached to the support frame and an isolationsystem operatively coupled with the cross-member. The isolation systemmay include a beam engaged with the cross-member about a first axis,where rotation of the beam about the first axis is dampened via across-member isolator. The isolation system may also include a skidplate engaged with the beam about a second axis, where rotation of theskid plate about the second axis is dampened via a wing isolator.

In an alternative embodiment, an isolation system of a fifth wheel hitchmay include a cross-member, a beam rotationally secured with thecross-member about a first axis, and a dampener secured to the beamabout said first axis, where the dampener dampens rotation of the beamabout the first axis.

In yet another alternative embodiment, an isolator system for a fifthwheel hitch may include a cross-member, a beam having at least one endportion, where the beam is rotationally secured with the cross-member, askid plate rotationally secured to the beam, where the skid plate iscapable of rotating about an axis, and a dampener secured to the endportion of the beam, where the dampener dampens vibrations of the skidplate about the axis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The operation of the invention may be better understood by reference tothe following detailed description taken in connection with thefollowing illustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fifth wheel hitch assembly having anisolation system according to the present teachings.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fifth wheel hitch assembly takenalong lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the isolation system of thefifth wheel hitch assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the isolation system in use with thefifth wheel hitch assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a close up cross-sectional view of an isolator of theisolation system taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the invention. Moreover, features of the variousembodiments may be combined or altered without departing from the scopeof the invention. As such, the following description is presented by wayof illustration only and should not limit in any way the variousalternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustratedembodiments and still be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

A fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The fifthwheel hitch assembly 10 may be positioned in a load bed of a towingvehicle, such as a truck (not shown), and secured either to the load bedor directly to the frame of the towing vehicle below the load bed. Oncesecured to the towing vehicle, a king pin (not shown) of a towed vehicle(not shown) or trailer may be coupled to the fifth wheel hitch assembly10. The fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 may be fabricated out of anyappropriate types of materials, such as metal.

The fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 may include at least one support frame12, at least one mounting bracket 14, a head or skid plate 16 and anisolation system 30. By way of a non-limiting example, the fifth wheelhitch assembly 10 may include a pair of support frames 12. The supportframes 12 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type or configuration.For example, the support frames 12 may be of a generally curved shape,in a substantially arched shaped, or the like.

The support frames 12 may be located at any appropriate position on thefifth wheel hitch assembly 10, such as on each side of the hitchassembly 10. The support frames 12 may be utilized to secure the fifthwheel hitch assembly 10 to the load bed of the towing vehicle. Forexample, the support frames 12 may be secured to the load bed or theframe of the towing vehicle below the load bed by any appropriate means,such as with fasteners, or the like. More specifically, the supportframes 12 may be secured to rails (not shown) that are attached to theframe (not shown) of the towing vehicle below the load bed. In thisembodiment, the rails (not shown) may include a plurality of apertures(not shown) below the load bed and the load bed may includecorrespondingly shaped and positioned apertures (not shown) such thatthe apertures of the rails may include a fastening device (not shown)such that the support frames 12 may be secured to the fastening device(not shown).

Each support frame 12 may be attached to a mounting bracket 14, wherebythe fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 may include a pair of mountingbrackets 14. The mounting brackets 14 may be of any appropriate shape,size, type or configuration. By way of a non-limiting example, themounting brackets 14 may be of a general C-shape or three sided square,rectangular shape, or the like. The mounting brackets 14 may be locatedat any appropriate position on the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10, suchas located above each support frame 12.

The head or skid plate 16 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. By way of a non-limiting example, the skid plate 16 maybe of a general horseshoe shape, a substantially semi-circular shape, asubstantially curved shaped or the like. The skid plate 16 may belocated at any appropriate position on the fifth wheel hitch assembly10, such as at a generally central location above the isolation system30. The skid plate 16 may be utilized to engage with the king pin (notshown) of the trailer.

The fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 may also include a cover 18, anexample of which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cover 18 may be of anyappropriate shape, size, type or configuration, such as a generallyplanar horseshoe shape, substantially semi-circular shape, asubstantially curved shaped or the like. For example, the cover 18 maybe of similar shape to that of the skid plate 16. The cover 18 may belocated at any appropriate position on the fifth wheel hitch assembly10, such as located above the skid plate 16.

The isolation system 30 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. The isolation system 30 may be located at any appropriateposition on the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10, such as located betweenthe load bed of the towing vehicle and the skid plate 16 as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. The isolation system 30 may be utilized to operativelyengage with the skid plate 16.

The fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 may include a handle 22. The handle 22may be of any appropriate shape, size, type or configuration. By way ofa non-limiting example, the handle 22 may be of a general tubularL-shape, a substantially T-shape, or the like. The handle 22 may belocated at any appropriate position on the fifth wheel hitch assembly10, such as located adjacent the isolation system 30 and below the skidplate 16. The handle 22 may be utilized to operate engagement of theskid plate 16 with the king pin (not shown).

The handle 22 may include a grip 24. The grip 24 may be of anyappropriate shape, size, type or configuration. By way of a non-limitingexample, the grip 24 may be of a general tubular shape similar to thatof the handle 22, such as a general tubular L-shape, a substantiallyT-shape, or the like. The grip 24 may be located at any appropriateposition on the handle 22, such as at an end of the handle 22. The grip24 may provide the user with a comfortable surface to grip the handle 22when adjusting the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10, as well as beingergonomically shaped to further attempt to ease the use of the handle22.

The isolation system 30 may include a cross-member 32 and a pivot beam34. The cross-member 32 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. By way of a non-limiting example, the cross-member 32 maybe of a generally square or rectangular tubular shape, or the like. Thecross-member 32 may be located at any appropriate position on the fifthwheel hitch assembly 10, such as located between each support frame 12and mounting bracket 14, an example of which is shown in FIGS. 1-4.

The mounting brackets 14 may be utilized to secure the cross-member 32to the support frames 12. The cross-member 32 may be secured to themounting brackets 14 by any appropriate means, such as by welding,fasteners, or the like. The cross-member 32 may be utilized to securethe pivot beam 34.

The pivot beam 34 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. By way of a non-limiting example, the pivot beam 34 maybe of a generally curved or cradle shape, a substantially saddled shape,or any other such shape. Moreover, the pivot beam 34 may include a pairof wings 36. The pivot beam 34 may be located at any appropriateposition on the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10, such as located betweeneach support frame 12 and mounting bracket 14 and adjacent thecross-member 32. The pivot beam 34 may be secured to the cross-member 32by any appropriate means, such as with fasteners. The pivot beam 34 maybe utilized to secure the head or skid plate 16.

The wings 36 of the pivot beam 34 may be of any appropriate shape, size,type or configuration. By way of a non-limiting example, the wings 36may be of a generally curved shape extending upward from a centralportion 37 of the pivot beam 34, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The wings 36may be located at any appropriate position on the pivot beam 34, such asat each end of the pivot beam 34.

By way of a non-limiting example, the wings 36 may provide the pivotbeam 34 with its generally curved or cradle shape, substantially saddledshape, or any other such shape that the pivot beam 34 may take. Thewings 36 may also provide a mounting point to which the skid plate 18may mount. The wings 36 may be integrally formed with the pivot beam 34or may be separate components secured to the pivot beam 34 by anyappropriate means, such as fastening, welding or the like.

The pivot beam 34 may be secured to the cross-member 32 by anyappropriate means, such as with fasteners 38, 40, or in any othersuitable manner. The fasteners 38, 40 may be of any appropriate shape,size, type or configuration. By way of a non-limiting example, the pivotbeam 34 may be secured to the cross-member 32 with a cross-member bolt38 and a nut 40. The fasteners 38, 40 may be located at any appropriateposition on the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10, such as at a generallycentral location on both the cross-member 32 and the pivot beam 34. Thefasteners 38, 40 may secure the pivot beam 34 to the cross-member 32.The pivot beam 34 may pivot, to a limited extent, about axis A offastener 38, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The isolator system 30 may include at least one cross-member isolator42. Any number of such cross-member isolator 42 may be used with thefifth wheel hitch assembly 10. The cross-member isolator 42 may providea first degree of damping to the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10. Thecross-member isolator 42 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. By way of a non-limiting example, the cross-memberisolator 42 may be of a generally cylindrical shape. The cross-memberisolator 42 may be located at any appropriate position on the isolatorsystem 30, such as between the bolt 38, cross-member 32 and pivot beam34, an example of which is shown in FIG. 5. The cross-member isolator 42may be fabricated out of any appropriate type of materials, such aspolymers or the like. For example, the isolators 42 may be fabricatedout of any appropriate type of isolation materials and be of theappropriate durometer, such as urethane, rubber, synthetic compounds andthe like. The appropriate material may depend upon the temperature, loadand vibration frequency being attempted to be minimized or reduced.

The isolator system 30 may also include a tube 44 for the bolt 38, anexample of which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The tube 44 may be of anyappropriate shape, size, type or configuration, such as of a generallycylindrical shape. By way of a non-limiting example, the tube 44 may beof a slightly larger diameter than that of the bolt 38, whereby the tube44 may be able to slide over the bolt 38.

The tube 44 may be located at any appropriate position on the isolatorsystem 30, such as extending through the cross-member 32 and pivot beam34, which can be seen in FIG. 5. The tube 44 may be secured to theisolator system 30 by any appropriate means. By way of a non-limitingexample, the tube 44 may be welded to the cross-member 32, which mayallow the tube 44 to ground out too large of shocks that may occurduring operation thereof.

In use, the fifth wheel pivot beam 34 may rest on the cross-member 32 bymeans of the bolt 38 passing through both the pivot beam 34 and thecross-member 32. The bolt 38 may restrict radial movement of the pivotbeam 34 about the axis A. The bolt 38, however, may not prevent thepivot beam 34 from displacing axially along the axis A of the bolt 38.This may allow the isolator 42 to absorb shock as it is compressedaxially along the bolt 38 by the moving pivot beam 34.

The bolt 38 may be positioned inside of the tube 44, which may beattached through the cross-member 32. The tube 44 may be wider than thecross-member 32, however, not as wide as the pivot beam 34, therebyleaving a gap 45 into which the cross-member isolator 42 can move. Thisgap 45 may provide for a large contact area between the isolator 42 andthe outside of the cross-member 32 and the isolator 42 and the inside ofthe pivot beam 34. While allowing the isolator 42 to move, the tube 44may also limit the amount of movement permitted. The tube 44 may alsostop the pivot beam 34 from completely compressing the cross-memberisolator 42.

The isolator system 30 may include at least one wing isolator 48 foreach wing 36 of the pivot beam 34. The wing isolators 48 may provide asecond degree of damping to the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10. The wingisolators 48 may be of any appropriate shape, size, type orconfiguration. By way of a non-limiting example, the wing isolators 48may be of a generally cylindrical shape. The wing isolators 48 may belocated at any appropriate position on the isolator system 30, such ason the pivot beam 34 adjacent each wing 36, an example of which is shownin FIGS. 2-5. The wing isolators 48 may be fabricated out of anyappropriate type of materials, such as polymers or the like. By way of anon-limiting example, the isolators 48 may be fabricated out of anyappropriate type of isolation materials and be of an appropriatedurometer, such as urethane, rubber and synthetic compounds. Theappropriate material may depend upon the temperature, load and vibrationfrequency being attempted to be minimized or reduced.

The wing isolators 48 may be secured to the wings 36 by any appropriatemeans, such as with fasteners 50, 52, 54. By way of a non-limitingexample, the wing isolators 48 may be secured to the wings 36 with awing bolt 50, a washer 52, and a nut 54. The fasteners 50, 52, 54 may beof any appropriate shape, size, type or configuration. The fasteners 50,52, 54 may be located at any appropriate position on the isolator system30, such as adjacent the wings 36. The fasteners 50, 52, 54 may securethe wing isolators 48 to the wings 36 of the pivot beam 34. The pivotbeam 34 may be utilized to secure the skid plate 16, whereby the skidplate 16 may pivot, to a limited extent, about axis B of fasteners 50 asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The isolator system 30 may dampen vibrations, such that may result fromthe road, tire, engine and other frequencies occurring in operating thetowing vehicle and towed vehicle, and impacts, such as from an unevenroad or loose connection impacts, radially allowing the skid plate 16 topivot. The isolator system 30 may provide vertical and horizontalisolation about the A and B axes, however, side to side isolation mayalso be provided without departing from the present teachings.

The isolator system 30 of the fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 includesisolators 42, 48 that may focus on the shocks of the towed vehicle thefifth hitch assembly 10 may be secured. While the isolator system 30 ofthe fifth wheel hitch assembly 10 has been described as having a certainnumber or type of isolators, it is to be understood that the fifth wheelhitch assembly 10 may have any appropriate number or type of isolatorsand should not be limited to that shown or described herein.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been illustratedin the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detaileddescription, it is to be understood that the present invention is not tobe limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the inventiondescribed herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modificationsand substitutions without departing from the scope of the claimshereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed:
 1. Afifth wheel hitch comprising: at least one support frame capable ofengagement with a towing vehicle; a cross-member attached to said atleast one support frame; an isolation system operatively coupled withsaid cross-member, said isolation system comprising: a beam engaged withsaid cross-member about a first axis, wherein a cross-member isolatordampens longitudinal displacement of said beam generally along saidfirst axis; and a skid plate engaged with said beam about a second axis,wherein a wing isolator dampens radial displacement of said skid platerelative to said second axis.
 2. The fifth wheel hitch of claim 1,wherein said first axis is generally perpendicular said second axis. 3.The fifth wheel hitch of claim 1 further comprising at least one wingattached to an end of said beam, wherein said wing isolator is attachedto said wing.
 4. The fifth wheel hitch of claim 3 further comprising afastener attaching said wing isolator to said wing, wherein said skidplate rotates about said fastener.
 5. The fifth wheel hitch of claim 1further comprising a beam fastener securing said cross-member isolatorwith said beam.
 6. The fifth wheel hitch of claim 5 further comprising atube enclosing at least a portion of said beam fastener.
 7. The fifthwheel hitch of claim 6, wherein said cross-member has a width, said tubehas a length and said beam has a width, wherein said width of said beamis greater than said length of said tube and said length of said tube isgreater than said width of said cross-member forming a gap into whichsaid cross member isolator is configured to move.
 8. The fifth wheelhitch of claim 1, wherein said first axis is generally longitudinal andsaid second axis is generally transverse relative to said cross member.9. The fifth wheel hitch of claim 7, wherein said gap provides an areaof contact between said cross member isolator and either of said crossmember and pivot beam.
 10. An isolation system of a fifth wheel hitch,said isolation system comprising: a transversely extending cross-member;a beam rotationally secured with said cross-member about a firstlongitudinal axis relative to the cross-member; a dampener secured tosaid beam about said first longitudinal axis, wherein said dampenerdampens longitudinal displacement of said beam generally along saidfirst longitudinal axis; and a wing isolator secured to said beam,wherein said wing isolator dampens vibrations of a skid plate about asecond axis.
 11. The isolation system of claim 10, wherein said dampenercomprises at least one cross-member isolator.
 12. The isolation systemof claim 11 further comprising a fastener extending through at least aportion of and securing together said beam and cross-member.
 13. Theisolation system of claim 12 further comprising a tube surrounding atleast a portion of said fastener within said beam.
 14. The isolationsystem of claim 13, wherein said tube extends through an entire width ofsaid cross-member creating a gap into which said cross-member isolatoris capable of moving.
 15. The isolation system of claim 13, wherein saidtube is welded to said cross-member dampening forces applied to saidcross-member.
 16. The isolation system of claim 13, wherein saidcross-member isolator dampens shock as it is compressed axially alongsaid fastener.
 17. An isolator system for a fifth wheel hitch, saidisolator system comprising: a cross-member; a beam having at least oneend portion, wherein said beam is rotationally secured with saidcross-member; a skid plate rotationally secured to said beam, whereinsaid skid plate is capable of rotating about a transverse axis; adampener secured to said beam, wherein said dampener dampens radialdisplacement of said skid plate along 360 degrees of said transverseaxis while allowing free rotation of said skid plate about saidtransverse axis and at least one cross-member isolator secured to saidbeam about a second axis, wherein said cross-member isolator dampenslongitudinal displacement of said beam generally along said second axis.18. The isolator system of claim 17, wherein said dampener comprises awing isolator.
 19. The isolator system of claim 18 further comprising atleast one wing attached to at least one end portion of said beam whereinsaid wing isolator is attached to said wing.
 20. The isolator system ofclaim 19 further comprising a fastener attaching said wing isolator tosaid wing wherein said skid plate rotates about said fastener.